The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-31
CUT THE BARSOF HISCELL
JESSE POMEROY MAKES ANOTHER
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
The Boy Fiend of Boston, Who at the
Age of 10 Tortured Children to
Death-Saved from the Gallows-A
From the Ne,o York Sun.


Governors Clemency.
From the Ne1o York Sun
BosToN, Aug. 2S.-Jesse Pomeroy, the
most notorious prisoner in the State prison,
made another attempt to escape last week.
Pomeroy is the boy fiend who tortured to
death two or three children about a dozen
years ago, and who at the age of lG years
was sentenced to be hanged. Gov. CASTOR
cOmmutcd the sentence to life Imprisonment
in a solitary cell, and the Governors elem
ency was so unpopular that it defeated him
III his candidacy for reelection. PomeToy
has been detected in half dozen plans
for escaping, and he has always re-
quired the closest watching He is alb
normally cunning-a model convict
in outward behavior, but keenly Observant
and tireleSs in plotting to gain his liberty.
Before the reconstruction OF the prison and
its extension Pomeroy occupied a cell in the
upper arch. The wing was extended and
six new cells added in the arch Adjoining
this new wing are several specially strong
cells On either side of these cells are
grated bars, allowing a full view of the mar
row quarters from both sides, and the
guard, as he makes the rounds, can be con
tinually in sight of the inmates. Directly
over the arch is the hospital, and it is
thought that from this place came the
assistance which so nearly gave the muir
derer his liberty.
In his regular round on Friday night the
guard, while leaning against the window,
felt two of the iron bars give way to the
pressure of his hand, and a moment later
they fell to the ground. The guard discov-
cred that other bars had been worked upon,
and that a few minutes labor would have
rendered them as useless as the broken ones
Hastily summOning the officials, another in
spectiOn was made, the broken and damaged
bars were replaced with new ones, and a
tour of the cells was begun. BY instinct
they made for Pomeroy's cell. At glant Q
the two massive iron gratings seemed
impregnable, but closer scrutiny
showed that enough bars in the side
nearest the window to admit the
body of man had been cut through, but
so fastened by the means of cement that
even the heavy changing of the door did not
shake them Where this cement was conceal
ed has not yet been ascertained. POmerOy was
taken TO safer quarters and searched, but
nothing was found on his person save two
slender saws. He refused to disclose who
furnished them, where the cement had been
obtained, or how long the work had been
going on, 1t is said, however, that he said
enough to leave the inference that the time
for escape had been definitely fixed, and
that conveyance would be in waiting to
take him to place of safety
Since Pomeroy's sentence he has been in
solitary confinement, save for an occasional
hours outing with the warden When not
otherwise employed he has been busy porting
over books and has the reputation Of being
a close student. Indeed. he has already
mastered Latin and Greek, and can converse
with some fluency in French and German
His first attempt to escape was made some
nine years ago. Then Pomeroy spent his
leisure moments in loosening a rock that
formed a part of the centre wall of the
prison and the wall of his cell For years,
evidently he had been at work on that
rock, and had finally succeeded in sepa-
rating it from the surrounding wall To
get it out of the way was the next question
and thoughtless of the consequence, he
forced it outward slowly, until one day the
guard, looking down the massive wall, saw
the projecting rock and made an investiga-
ton. Pomeroy was then taken to a stronger
call